The Iranian Movement, Women, Life, and Freedom

A Content Analysis of Reactions to the Protests on Facebook

Abstract

This study looked at public reactions by analyzing comments posted to Facebook regarding the movement for freedom in Iran and the protests that erupted after the death of an Iranian woman. A content analysis of 60 comments revealed that between November 9 to November 16 of 2022, four prevalent themes emerged. These themes included: fear, women, support, and arguments. The most frequently mentioned theme was the arguments category, making up 30% of the sample. Supportive comments were 28 %, while women made up 27%, and the fear category was 15% of the total sum of comments. The results showed overall support for the movement and women. At the same time, a level of concern was expressed, and users engaged in conversation and arguments to indicate their opinions.